Sheet feeding mechanism



June 6, 1939- R. RElNARTz SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 2, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet l Figi.

June 6, 1939. R, REINARTZ SHEET FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed Deo. 2, 1956 l2 sheets-smet 2 Patented June 6, 1939 SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM RobertReinartz, Offenbach, near Frankfort-onthe-Main, Germany, assigner, bymesne assignments, to Faber & Schleicher, A. G., Offenbach-on-the-Main,Germany, a corporation of Germany Application December 2, 1936, SerialNo. 113,801

' In Germany December 3, 1935 6 Claims.

In my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,086,577 I have described and claimed asheet feeding mechanism in which individual sheets are fed by means oftwo suction nozzles which then revert to 'their initial position on apath around the side edges of the sheet. In the arrangement describedand illustrated in this prior patent, the sheets fed are transferredfrom the suction nozzles to a suction roller. This suction roller and afurther roller constitute a pair of feed rollers whereby the furtherfeed of the sheets can beeifected independently of the suction. Byfeeding consecutive sheets at suitable intervals a fanned-out sequenceof sheets in overlapped condition can be produced.

The modification of the prior invention proposed in the presentinvention has for its object to eliminate the need for a suction rollerto take over the sheet from the suction nozzles. According to thepresent invention the sheet feeding machine includes a feed roller,pressure rollers co-operating with the feed roller and suction nozzlesadapted to seize a .sheet and to convey it to between the feed'rollerand the eo-operating pressure rollers, the nozzles releasing the sheetwhen it is gripped between the rollers and reverting to their initialposition around the side edges of the sheet. I

Such an arrangement is particularly suitable for forming a sequence ofsheets in tanned-out overlapping relationship and feeding them to asheet handling machine such as a printing machine and in this case theuppermost sheet of a pile of sheets is engaged at or adjacent thecorners of its leading edge by the suction nozzles which convey thesheet towards a feed roller along a path beneath the sheets previouslyfed from the pile, whereupon the pressure rollers acting on theoverlapping sequence of sheets from above urges the newly fed sheetagainst the feed roller so that the newly fed sheet, which is releasedby the suction nozzle, is conveyed by the feed roller, while the suctionnozzles after releasing the sheet revert to their initial position alonga path around the side edges of the sheet just handled.

The pressure rollers co-operating with the feed roller` are preferablymoved towards and away from the feed roller in timed relationship to themovement of the suction nozzles so that the sheet engaged by the nozzlescan be introduced readily while the pressure rollers are lifted.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, these andother features will be explained in greater detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate' the invention somewhatdiagrammatically 'by an example,

Fig. 1 is a side view,

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view,

Fig. 3 is a side view showing a different working position of theelements shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a sectionalong the line A-B of Fig. 3, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are a front and a side elevation respectively ofconventional means whereby the suction nozzles may be actuated toseparate a sheet from the pile and to thereafter move around the sideedges of the separated sheet and beneath it to engage the next sheet.

The sheets are lifted individually from the pile I and are fed to thefeed roller 2, the uppermost point of which is at a higher level thanthe top of the pile. The individual sheets 3 are fed by means of suctionnozzles 4 engaging the two corners of the leading' edge of the sheet andthe movements of which correspond to the movements of the suctionnozzles as described in said prior patent. The-feed roller 2 co-operateswith a set of pressure rollers. The pressure rollers 5 may be constantlyurged by their own gravity against the feed roller to therebycontinuously move the sheets 6, 1, which are in overlapping relationshipand have previously been fed to the feed roller. The 'feed action which,if desired, may occur at a variable speed, serves to convey the sheetsto the printing machine or other sheet handling machine. These pressurerollers 5 are disposed near to the highest point of thefeed roller 2.

Another set of rollers, namely pressure rollers 8 engage the feed roller2 at the point at which the newly fed sheet 3 is transferred from thesuction nozzles 4 to the feed roller. By means of any suitablemechanism, such as I have indicated by way of example in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawings, the rollers 8 are raised from the feed roller 2, whilethe suction nozzles 4 approach the point at which the sheet 3 istransferred so that the leading edge of the sheet 3 Acan be readilyintroduced beneath the rollers 8. At an appropriate instant the pressurerollers 8 are lowered and suction is no longer applied to the nozzles 4.In this way the existing sequence of overlapping sheets 6, 1, is pressedon to the leading edge of the new sheet 3 so that it is moved togetherwith the sequence of sheets at the peripheral speed of the feed roller2. As soon as itv has been conveyed in this manner to beneath thepressure rollers the pressure rollers 8 can be lifted again.

While the first sheet ofthe sequence is being fed there is nothing tohold it against the feed roller 2 between the pressure rollers 8 and thepressure rollers 5; consequently, tojensure that the first sheetfed doesnot strike against the pressure rollers 5 instead of passing betweensufficient for the new sheet to be introduced into 2 the angle formedbetween the sequence of sheets and the feed roller 2 while the pressurerollers 8 remain in operation. In order that the suction nozzles 4should disturb the established sequence of sheets as little as possibleit may be desirable to allow the leading edge 9 of the sheet 3 to extendconsiderably beyond the nozzles 4.

In the same way as in the arrangement according to said prior patent thefollowing developments of the basic idea can be effected inter alia. Toobtain a `reliable separation of the sheets, separating devices may beprovided at the rear end of the sheet apart from the transfer nozzles 4.To make it possible for the nozzles 4 to pass with certainty from thesides into the space between the pile l and the sheet 3, the sequence ofsheets 3, 6, l above the nozzles 4 may be raised at this moment eitherby tautening the sequence of sheets or by means of a separate liftingdevice provided in the vicinity of the nozzles 4, or by other means. Inorder that the leading edge of the sheet 3 should be stretched in astraight line at the moment of transfer, the nozzles 4 may be movedoutwardly as will be described hereafter. When handling sheets ,of stiffcardboard, which on the one 'hand cannotreadily be bent and on theAother hand can `be advanced by means engaging such sheets at their `rearedge, it is possible to make the level of the top of the pile coincidentwith the upper level of the feed roller and to introduce the sheetsdirectly beneath the pressure rollers 5 and the sequence of sheetstravelling beneath them, pressure rollers 8 and transfer nozzles 4 beingthrown out of operation. 'Ihis movement lcan be effected by auxiliarysuction nozzles moving in the direction of motion of the Asheets `anddisposed near the rear separating device; apart from this use whenfeeding stiff sheets these lauxiliary nozzles' may also be employed inthe case of thin sheet'sto facilitate the'guidance of the sheets or fortautening the sheets.

The preferred means illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 for separating sheetsfrom the pile l and for transferring the separated sheets to theforwarding means, namely feed roller 2 andcooperating sets of pressurerollers 5 and 8, functions as follows: i v v Y According" to thiskconventional device, of which Fig. 5 isa front elevation, partly incross-section, andLFig. .6 a lcross-sectioned side elevation taken alongline 6-6 of Fig. 5, a shaft 29 is mounted in hearings 38 and 3l providedin thesupporting brackets 32 carried by a shaft 33. A rock arm 34 isrigidly secured to said shaft 29 which arm in suitable manner.

turn supports within suitable bearings a rack bar 35 with its rack 36 aswell as a shaft' 31 which latter is provided with an air duct throughwhich suction is applied to the nozzle 4 in any Said rack and shaft areso arranged vthatthey reciprocate laterally in unison. Reciprocatorymovement is imparted to the rack bar 35 by means of a gear segment 38 as-will be explained hereinafter.

To the inner free end of the shaft 31 is secured a separating nozzle 4,while an air hose 39 may be connected to the other end of said shaft. l

The parts involved for actuating the nozzle or nozzles 4, one of whichmay be arranged adjacent each front corner of a pile of sheets, derivetheirv motion from the shaft 33 as follows. A flanged hub 40 is splinedto said shaft by means of a groove and key connection 4|, 42. The flange43 of said hub is bolted to a disk 44 which is integral with a sleeve 45carried by the shaft 33. Preferably said fiange and disk may be adaptedto be adjustable relative to each other for the purpose of adjusting theangular position of the nozzle 4. Said sleeve also carries a spur gear46 which meshes with and drives another spur gear 41 suitably keyed tothe shaft 48 which latter is supported to rotate Within bearings 49 and50 provided in the brackets 32.

The rocking motion is imparted to the rock arm -34 by means of a cam 5Imounted on the shaft 48 and which caml actuates a bell crank lever,similar to 52 shown in Fig. 6, and which is connected to the rock arm34. One arm of said lever carries a cam roller as 53 which is urgedagainst the cam 5| in any conventional manner such as by means of aspring 54 mounted to exert pressure against the other arm of said bellcrank lever.

In order to reciprocate the rackbar 35 laterally, and therewith thenozzle 4, a cam 55, see Fig. 5, of suitable contour is also mounted onthe shaft 48. As will be seen from Fig. 5, the stud 56, on which thegear segment 38 is mounted, also carries a bevel gear 51 which mesheswith a bevelgear 58. The latter is secured to a bell crank, lever 52,see Fig. 6, so that when it is rocked by the cam 55, 'as describedherein in connection with the cam 5l and its associated parts, thesegment 38 also will be rocked and will thereby produce a lateralreciprocating motion of the bar 35 and nozzle 4 through the intermediaryof the rack 36. y

It will be understood therefore, that the com-' bined operation of themechanism just described will produce such movement of the nozzle 4 thatit will raise a sheet from the pile and after transferring the sheet tothe forwarding means, such as roller 2, the nozzle willmove outwardbeyond the margin of the sheet and then downward and inward beneath saidsheet in order to engage the next sheet.

It will be readily understood that without departing from the principleof my invention any other suitable mechanism may be utilized wherebygitsobjects may be accomplished.

I claim: 1. In a sheet feeder of the class adapted for feeding-sheets inlapped sequence, and including l means for moving the separating.members around the edge of a fed sheet, the combination 'of sheetseparating and forwarding means, .in-

cluding separating members arranged to separate the top sheet from apile of sheets, and sheet forwarding means adapted to receive sheetssepa- 1 rated by said members and comprising a driven feed roller and apressure roller cooperating therewith and positively moved radially awayfrom said feed roller in order to permit a newly separated sheet to beplaced beneath a previously fed lapped sequence of sheets and thereuponurge it against said feed roller so that said sheet will be conveyedtogether with said sequence of sheets, said sheet separating members,after having transferred a sheet to said forwarding means,

reverting to their initial position around the lateral edges of saidsheet. 7

2. In a sheet feeder of the class adapted for feeding sheets in lappedsequence and including means for moving the separating members aroundthe edge of a fed sheet, the combination of sheet separating andforwarding means, including separating members arranged to separate thetop sheet from a pile of sheets, and sheet forwarding means adapted toreceive sheets separated by said members and comprising a driven feedroller and two or more sets of independently actuated pressure rollerscooperating with said feed roller, one set of said pressure rollersbeing positively moved radially away from said feed roller in order topermit a newly separated sheet to be placed beneath a previously fedlapped sequence of sheets and thereupon urge it against said feed rollerso that said sheet will be conveyed together with said sequence ofsheets, while the other one of said sets remains in constantlcooperative re-v lation with said feed-roller.

3. In a sheet feeder of the class adapted for feeding sheets in lappedsequence and including means for moving the separating members aroundthe edge of a fed sheet, the combination of sheet separating andforwarding means, including separating members arranged to separate thetop sheet from a pile of sheets, and sheet forwarding means adapted toreceive sheets separated by said members and comprising a driven feedroller and two or more sets of independently operated pressure rollerscooperating with said feed roller, one set of said pressure rollersbeing positively moved radially away from said feed roller in order topermit a newly separated sheet to be placed beneath a previously fedlapped sequence of--sheets and thereupon urge it against said feedroller so that said sheet will be conveyed together with said sequenceof sheets, said sheet separating members, after having transferred asheet to said forwarding means, reverting to their initial positionaround the lateral edges of said sheet.

4. In a sheet feeder of the class adapted for feeding sheets in lappedsequence and including means for #moving the separating 1 members aroundthe edge of a fed sheet, the combination of sheet separating andforwarding means, including separating members arranged to separate thetop sheet from a pile of sheets, and sheet forwarding means adapted toreceive sheets separated by said members and comprising a driven feedroller and two or more sets of independently operated pressure rollerscooperating with said feed roller, one set of said pressure rollersbeing positively moved radially away from said feed roller in order topermit a newly separatedsheet to be placed beneath a previously fedlapped sequence of sheets and thereuponurge it against said feed rollerso that said sheet will be conveyed together with said sequence ofsheets, while the other one of said sets remains in constant cooperativerelation with said feed roller, said sheet separating members, afterhaving transferred a sheet to said forwarding means, reverting to theirinitial position around the lateral edges of said sheet.

5. In a sheet feeder of the class adapted for vfeeding sheets in lappedsequence and including lfrom 'said feed roller in order to permit anewly separated sheet to be placed beneath a previously fed lappedsequence of sheets and thereupon urge it against said feed roller sothat said sheet will be conveyed together with said sequence of sheets,said sheet separating members, after having separated a sheet, movingoutwardly to thereby tauten the leading edge of said sheet, and afterhaving transferred a sheet to said forwarding means, reverting to theirinitial position around the lateral edges of said sheet. n

6. In a sheet feeder of the class adapted for feeding sheets in lappedsequence and including means for moving the separating members aroundthe edge of a fed sheet, the combination of sheet separating andforwarding means, including separating members arranged to engage thetop sheet of a pile at its leading edge and separate it from said pile,and sheet forwarding means adapted to receive sheets separated by saidmembers and comprising a driven feed roller-and .a pressure rollercooperating therewith and positively moved radially away from said feedroller in order to permit a newly separated sheet to be placed beneath apreviously fedlapped sequence of sheets and thereupon urge it againstsaid feed roller so that said sheet will be conveyed together with saidsequence of sheets, said sheet separating members, after havingseparated a sheet, moving outwardly to vthereby tauten the leading edgeof said sheet, and after having transferred a sheet to said forwardingmeans, reverting to their initial position around the lateral edges ofsaid sheet.

ROBERT REINARTZ.

